Exodus 20:21

And the people stood afar off. But Moses went to the dark cloud wherein God was.

Douay-Rheims 1899

In The King James Version

And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

In Context

20And Moses said to the people: Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, and you should not sin.

22And the Lord said to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.

Read all of Exodus 20

Cross References

Exodus 19:16And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud, and the people that was in the camp, feared.

Deuteronomy 5:22These words the Lord spoke to all the multitude of you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire and the cloud, and the darkness, with a loud voice, adding nothing more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, which he delivered unto me.

2 Chronicles 6:1Then Solomon said: The Lord promised that he would dwell in a cloud.

Psalms 18:12And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.

Psalms 104:2and art clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:

Matthew Henry on Exodus 20:19-22

Terror with Which the Law Was Given. ( b. c. 1491.) 18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Exodus 20:21